Herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes life-long viral disease in those infected and there is currently no cure. HSV infection typically leads to establishment of latent viral infection in nerve cells, with consequences of this infection covering a spectrum from no symptoms to repeated and/or severe episodes of active form of the disease. Active forms of the disease can manifest as cold sores and/or genital herpes.
Worldwide, there are over 500 million people infected with HSV type 2 (HIV-2), with an estimated 23 million new infections annually. It has been estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that in the United States alone in 2008, 16 percent of the population was infected with HSV-2 and in excess of 90% of U.S. citizens were possibly HSV-1 positive. It is estimated that about 776,000 people in the United States acquire genital herpes (HSV-1 or HSV-2) infections each year.